In 2010, the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) began modernising its monographs, including updating potassium analysis methods. Ion chromatography (IC) is now recommended as an alternative to traditional methods like atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and flame photometry, which require costly equipment and flammable gases. IC offers advantages by analysing multiple cations simultaneously, eliminating manual steps for matrix removal, and improving efficiency. The updated USP monographs use high-capacity columns, such as the Metrosep C 6 – 150/4.0 from Metrohm, to ensure accurate potassium content and impurity analysis in pharmaceuticals and supplements. These methods comply with USP validation guidelines.
To learn more about the use of ion chromatography in various USP test methods, visit Metrohm’s webpage.
